The present invention relates generally to monitoring and protection systems, such as those used in industrial settings. More particularly, the invention relates to a monitoring and protection system that allows for communication both within the system and with components outside the system in accordance with multiple standard communication protocols.
A wide range of monitoring and protection equipment is available and is currently in use in industrial settings. In many instances, such equipment is used to monitor, protect, and control associated mechanical equipment. In large complex mechanical systems, for example, such as rotating equipment systems and ancillary equipment, transducers and sensors are placed at multiple locations throughout the system and are coupled to monitoring devices. The monitoring devices may be associated with one or several sensors or transducers, and serve to receive signals relating to operating parameters of the system and to analyze the signals, such as to produce data representative of the condition or state of the system. This data is then used for logging, control, protection, and other functions as required by the system design.
Monitoring equipment in industrial settings typically provide useful functions both locally and remotely, and both in real time and over extended durations of time. By way of example, monitoring functions may provide an indication of a current state of the machinery, and monitor parameters may be used to log such operation over time. For protection purposes, certain parameters may be compared to desired operating ranges, and proactive steps taken to avoid damage to the equipment in the event the operating parameters fall outside the range. A variety of algorithms may be employed to associate the parameters in various manners such that operating ranges of more than one parameter may be used for such protection purposes. Steps employed for protection will also depend upon the application, and may include sounding alarms, notifying operators, shutting off machinery, turning on machinery, and so forth. Finally, control functions both local and remote from the point which parameters are detected can be implemented. Such control may include regulation of flow rates, speeds, production rates, temperatures, and so forth.
In many applications there is a need for some or all of the types of functions described above, and at different levels in the system. For example, local monitoring or protection may be provided to permit extremely rapid detection and response to changing operating parameters. Coordination between locations may also be necessary, implying a somewhat less local approach, or an approach in which local monitoring and control is coordinated between specific locations. Finally, remote monitoring, protection and control may be implemented such that parameters can be analyzed at locations such as in control rooms or completely remote from the application itself. Again, in many applications all of these levels of monitoring, protection and control are provided.
Conventional systems used to monitor, protect and control operating parameters and mechanical machinery suffer from significant drawbacks. For example, many monitoring systems used to monitor dynamic operating parameters of machine systems are designed to function in groups defined by backplanes. A backplane typically includes mounting structures for monitoring modules and communications interfaces for exchanging data between the modules and between the modules and external equipment, including the sensors and transducers, and remote monitoring equipment. Protocols used to exchange data between the modules are typically proprietary. Other protocols are needed to exchange data with other modules for remote location. Consequently, existing systems are not truly modular or are modular in a degree that is less than optimal from design, implementation and cost standpoints.
There is a need, at present, for monitoring and protection systems for industrial settings which can provide for greater modularity and ease of data communication between modules, locations, and remote devices. In particular, there is a need for systems which provide for expandable and easily interfaced modular designs for both monitoring, protection and control functions in large machine systems.
The present invention provides a system for monitoring dynamic operating parameters designed to respond to these needs. The system is particularly adapted for mechanical systems that include at least one rotary piece of equipment, such as a motor, engine, generator, turbine, and so forth. In an exemplary implementation, the system includes a plurality of monitoring modules which are located at a location of interest within a mechanical system. The location corresponds to locations at which dynamic parameters of interest will be sensed or detected. The monitors are designed to operate in conjunction and to exchange data via an open industrial data exchange protocol. A gateway is coupled to at least one of the monitors and provides for the exchange of data in accordance with a different data exchange protocol.
Other modules may be included in the system which can be remote from the first grouping of modules. Where provided, the additional modules may be linked to separate sensors or transducers and receive and process respective signals from such devices. The additional modules may then communicate with the first grouping of modules in accordance with the open industrial data exchange protocol. Additional gateways may be provided for such additional modules to facilitate exchange of data with remote devices.
The open industrial data exchange protocol is a non-proprietary protocol which affords inherent expandability of the system and incorporation of multi-vendor hardware and software. The use of gateways, or similar interface devices, allows for data exchange with devices that are not specifically adapted for the industrial setting, such as computers designed to communicate via protocols such as Ethernet, or an Internet or similar protocol. The use of the open industrial data exchange protocol at the monitor level thus facilitates true modularity of the system, allowing for expansion of the monitoring base at local positions within the machine system. The use of other data exchange protocols allows for this expandable and modular system to be interfaced with remote equipment for remote monitoring, protection and control.